


"Monster"

by jenhedgehog



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Corrupted Gems, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 05:46:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13288254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenhedgehog/pseuds/jenhedgehog
Summary: An angsty Lapis-centric oneshot...





	"Monster"

Lapis gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as she struggled against the Gem to whom she was chained; locked in a constant power-struggle as one half of a fusion who was born of pure hatred.

“Jasper… stop fighting it already!” she yelled in frustration as she yanked on the chains that were keeping her rooted to the spot. She heard a splash as her fusion partner was forced under the water beneath their feet.

Lapis let out an exhausted sigh before the Gem in front of her reappeared, spluttering and gasping for breath.

Except, it wasn’t Jasper at all…

“ _Peridot_?!” Lapis cried out in alarm, “What are you doing here?!”

Lapis felt her heart breaking as she looked at the small green Gem in front of her. Peridot was curled up into a ball now, as best she could given that her wrists and ankles were chained to the ground. Her tiny body was shaking from head to toe, and Lapis could have sworn she could hear her quietly whimpering.

“ _PERIDOT_!” Lapis shouted again.

Peridot lifted her head to look at Lapis. The ocean Gem gasped in shock when she saw the state of her poor barn mate. Those green eyes, usually so bright and full of playful energy, now looked dull and tired. Her visor had several small cracks and chips in it and her clothes were tattered and torn around the ages.

“Leave me alone” Peridot replied, her voice trembling with fear, “Please… don’t hurt me again…”

“What?! Peridot, I’d never hu-”

“Please… stay back, Lazuli… I’m begging you…”

Tears were now streaming down Peridot’s face. Lapis held her hand out, trying to reach out to Peridot - causing the technician to squeal and cover her face.

Lapis felt like she’d been punched in the gut. Her beloved Peridot appeared to be terrified of her, and had even reverted back to calling her “Lazuli” again…

“Peri–”

“I trusted y-you” Peridot choked out between sobs, “I thought… you l-liked me… but you m-m-must really _HATE_ me!”

Lapis felt her eyes begin to sting. 

“I do like you, Peri!” Lapis cried, “I love y–”

“Then _why_ … do you d-do this to me?!”

Lapis lurched forwards, but was prevented from getting too close to Peridot by the manacles that were clasped around her hands. The small technician let out a blood-curdling scream as she was inadvertently dragged back underwater by Lapis yanking on the chains that held them both down.

Peridot quickly re-emerged, gasping for breath. She sniffled as she tried to regain her composure. She stared Lapis straight in the face and, her voice breaking with emotion, uttered words that cut right through Lapis like a knife.

“I never should have trusted you. You’re a _monster_ , Lazuli!”

“I know I am!” Lapis wailed as she fell to her knees, “I’m sorry, Peridot…  I’m so, so sorry…”

Lapis began to sob uncontrollably as she was flooded with bad memories - all the people she’d hurt, all the terrible things she’d done, all the awful mistakes she’d made, all the lives she’d destroyed…  Wave after wave of pure negativity and self-loathing began to submerge her thoughts, taking over every corner of her mind.

Lapis suddenly became conscious of a strange sensation beginning to pulse through her Gem. Her hands began to tingle slightly, and it felt almost like something was beginning to grow out from her fingertips.

The Ocean Gem gasped as she looked down at her hands, the slender fingers now clawed and webbed together. Scales were also forming there and slowly creeping up her arms.

“Is…is this corruption?!” she cried, panic-stricken as her form began changing, forcing her painfully down onto all fours. Her mind was growing hazy now, with her thoughts quickly becoming an incoherent jumble. She was only vaguely aware of a bizarre feeling in her lower back as a large tail began to sprout there.

She desperately tried to cling on to her memories of the time spent at the barn with her beloved Peridot and Pumpkin, the times spent with Steven, all the good things in her life - but it was all being pushed out in favour of the overwhelming negativity that she was now drowning in.

“P-peri… dot…” she managed to murmur, before her voice became nothing more than a growl as her mind faded away completely - the corruption had fully taken over her…

——

Lapis awoke with a start, quickly steadying herself with shaking hands so that she didn’t topple out of her hammock.   _A nightmare_ … she thought to herself, sighing in relief.

She’d been having lots of nightmares like this recently.

“Peridot, are you…” she began to call out; but then, she remembered.  The Ocean Gem slowly stepped out of her hammock and shuffled towards the open barn door – staring outside into the vast, inky-black void of outer space.

“I’m so sorry, Peridot,” she called out, “You’re wonderful… and you deserve better than me.”  

Forcefully holding back her tears, she made her way back to the hammock again, picking up a bright green alien plush from the floor as she did so; it reminded her so much of her beloved barn mate.  Once back in the hammock, holding the plush close to her, she slowly found herself falling back into a deep sleep again.

Blissfully unaware of the scales that were beginning to rapidly form on her arms…


End file.
